Sustainable Innovations Challenge

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The Sustainable Innovation Challenge is a personal mission I launched to redefine the boundaries of creativity and inventiveness in sustainability. As a clean tech advocate, entrepreneur, and innovator, I set a goal: to create a new sustainability-focused innovation concept every single day. This turned to become a test of mental endurance and vision, inspired by my experiences as a marathon runner and Ironman finisher.

The challenge is also about looking deeper—seeing and exploring what others may overlook. It’s about imagining how real-world problems could escalate and proactively envisioning solutions that could address them before they become crises. Each concept aligns with solving real-world problems and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. While I initially aimed to develop 365 concepts in a year, I’ve surpassed 345 as of December 15, 2024, and I continue to push forward.

Through this challenge, I hope to inspire others to think boldly, act purposefully, and approach sustainability with both creativity and a willingness to explore the unseen.

I started the Sustainable Innovation Challenge on May 24, 2023.

The inspiration for the Sustainable Innovation Challenge came from recognizing the urgent need to rethink how we approach innovation, particularly in sustainability. With the world at a critical crossroads, I felt compelled to act after seeing a study highlighting the paradox of growing knowledge but fewer disruptive breakthroughs. My background in endurance sports like marathons and Ironmans, along with my experience in sustainable innovation—from R&D to collaborating with various innovation ecosystems—motivated me to create this challenge. It pushes my creativity to its limits while contributing to real-world solutions, fostering a culture of sustainable innovation, collaboration, and impactful change.

I maintain a record of my daily innovation concepts on my Instagram account (@juliadaviy), as well as in my Evernote and Google Drive for consistency. Posting the concepts on my website typically requires a bit more time.

Coming up with fresh concepts consistently comes down to having a system. Over the course of my Sustainable Innovation Challenge, I developed a process rooted in design thinking and systems thinking—methods that foster empathy, iterative problem-solving, and the ability to see overlooked connections. Conversations with clean tech professionals, UC Berkeley colleagues, and my diverse experiences—from co-founding green startups to developing portable solar chargers—fuel my ideas.

By blending sustainability, technology, and (often) economics  with creativity, I turn everyday observations into actionable, impactful concepts. I believe anyone can adopt this approach to spark innovation, create planet-first ventures, and drive real-world change. The world needs more entrepreneurs ready to make a difference, and this mindset is something anyone can learn.

Sustainability isn't just my professional focus—it's deeply personal. A decade ago, I took on a one-year challenge to live the most eco-friendly lifestyle possible. This experience revealed numerous pain points and untapped market opportunities, leading me to create my own line of organic clothing. That journey ultimately paved the way for my innovations in sustainable 3D-printed fashion and fully digital supply chains and delivery (something that we tried to implement in Imageneria).